March 31 2003, 15:40 APK-Inform

Kozachenko case is politically motivated - Kozachenko's lawyer

Kozachenko's case "is a political case, because the accusations, brought against Kozachenko, concern agrarian policy of the country as a whole", Ihor Usenko, the attorney for arrested on March 24 ex-Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for Agriculture Leonid Kozachenko, has said to a news conference today.

Also, a press-release, published by Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation and Ukrainian Grain Association, maintains the idea that the case has been forged by some political forces. "Most of the charges against Kozachenko do not hold water", the press-release says.

Kozachenko has been accused of office abuse and tax avoidance in especially large scales. A district court in Kiev sanctioned his arrest on Thursday, March 27.